AN 6 The Book of the Sixes – Chakkanipāta > AN 6.34 With Mahāmoggallāna

Numbered Discourses 6.34 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.34

4. Deities – 4. Devatāvagga

AN 6.34 With Mahāmoggallāna – Mahāmoggallānasutta

1.1

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

1.2

Then as Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

1.3

“Which gods know that they are

“katamesānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

1.4

stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening?”

‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti?

1.5

Now, at that time a monk called Tissa had recently passed away and been reborn in a Brahmā realm.

Tena kho pana samayena tisso nāma bhikkhu adhunākālaṅkato aññataraṁ brahmalokaṁ upapanno hoti.

1.6

There they knew that

Tatrapi naṁ evaṁ jānanti:

1.7

Tissa the Brahmā was very mighty and powerful.

“tisso brahmā mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.

2.1

And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared in that Brahmā realm.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi.

2.2

Tissa saw Moggallāna coming off in the distance,

Addasā kho tisso brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

2.3

and said to him,

Disvāna āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

2.4

“Come, my good Moggallāna! Welcome, my good Moggallāna!

“ehi kho, mārisa moggallāna; svāgataṁ, mārisa moggallāna;

2.5

It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here.

cirassaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna; imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi, yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya.

2.6

Sit, my good Moggallāna, this seat is for you.”

Nisīda, mārisa moggallāna, idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.

2.7

Moggallāna sat down on the seat spread out.

Nisīdi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno paññatte āsane.

2.8

Then Tissa bowed to Moggallāna and sat to one side.

Tissopi kho brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

2.9

Moggallāna said to him,

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho tissaṁ brahmānaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

3.1

“Tissa, which gods know that they are stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening?”

“Katamesānaṁ kho, tissa, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti?

3.2

“The gods of the Four Great Kings know this.”

“Cātumahārājikānaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti.

4.1

“But do all of them know this?”

“Sabbesaññeva nu kho, tissa, cātumahārājikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti?

4.2

“No, my good Moggallāna, not all of them.

“Na kho, mārisa moggallāna, sabbesaṁ cātumahārājikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti.

4.3

Those who lack experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and lack the ethics loved by the noble ones, do not know that they are stream-enterers.

Ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, cātumahārājikā devā buddhe aveccappasādena asamannāgatā dhamme aveccappasādena asamannāgatā saṅghe aveccappasādena asamannāgatā ariyakantehi sīlehi asamannāgatā na tesaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti.

4.4

But those who have experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and have the ethics loved by the noble ones, do know that they are stream-enterers.”

Ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, cātumahārājikā devā buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatā, dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgatā, saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgatā ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgatā, tesaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti.

5.1

“But Tissa, is it only the gods of the Four Great Kings who know that they are stream-enterers, or do the gods of the Thirty-Three …

“Cātumahārājikānaññeva nu kho, tissa, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti udāhu tāvatiṁsānampi devānaṁ …pe…

5.2

the Gods of Yama …

yāmānampi devānaṁ …

5.3

the Joyful Gods …

tusitānampi devānaṁ …

5.4

the Gods Who Love to Create …

nimmānaratīnampi devānaṁ …

5.5

and the Gods Who Control the Creations of Others know that they are stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening?”

paranimmitavasavattīnampi devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti?

5.6

“The gods of these various classes know this.”

“Paranimmitavasavattīnampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti.

6.1

“But do all of them know this?”

“Sabbesaññeva nu kho, tissa, paranimmitavasavattīnaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti?

6.2

“No, my good Moggallāna, not all of them.

“Na kho, mārisa moggallāna, sabbesaṁ paranimmitavasavattīnaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti.

6.3

Those who lack experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and lack the ethics loved by the noble ones, do not know that they are stream-enterers.

Ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, paranimmitavasavattī devā buddhe aveccappasādena asamannāgatā, dhamme aveccappasādena asamannāgatā, saṅghe aveccappasādena asamannāgatā, ariyakantehi sīlehi asamannāgatā, na tesaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti.

6.4

But those who have experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and have the ethics loved by the noble ones, do know that they are stream-enterers.”

Ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, paranimmitavasavattī devā buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatā, dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgatā, saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgatā, ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgatā tesaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘sotāpannā nāma avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti.

7.1

Moggallāna approved and agreed with what Tissa the Brahmā said. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from that Brahmā realm and reappeared in Jeta’s Grove.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno tissassa brahmuno bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā: “seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ: ‘brahmaloke antarahito jetavane pāturahosī’”ti.

7.2

Catutthaṁ.